Impact evaluation of the “ABCs of Mental Health” in Denmark and the role of mental health-promoting beliefs and actions

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the overall campaign reach and impact of the ABCs of Mental Health in Denmark; a secondary objective is to investigate how mental health-promoting beliefs and actions are associated with good mental health. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was administered to two representative cross-sectional samples of the Danish population (1,508 respondents in 2019; 1,507 respondents in 2021) via an online survey. The data were subsequently pooled together into one sample consisting of 3,015 respondents. In addition to questions pertaining to campaign reach and impact, the questionnaire also included a validated scale for mental well-being and questions about beliefs and actions in regard to enhancing mental health. Findings About 7.6% had been reached by the campaign (familiar with ABC name or messages), or 11.9% when also counting familiarity with campaign slogans. Among these, respondents reported (proportions in parentheses) that the campaign had 1) made them reflect on their mental health (74.2%), talk to friends and family about mental health (35.5%), given them new knowledge about what they can do to enhance mental health (78.4%), or take action to enhance their own mental health (16.2%). An internal well-being locus of control and proactive behaviours towards enhancing mental health are shown to be associated with higher mean scores on mental well-being, lower odds of low mental well-being and higher odds of higher mental well-being. Originality/value An internal well-being locus of control and proactive behaviours towards enhancing mental health are suggested to both prevent low levels of mental well-being and promoting high levels of mental well-being. The results indicate that the ABCs of Mental Health campaign may be implemented to promote such beliefs and actions universally throughout the population.

Examining Change in the Frequency of Adaptive Actions as a Mediator of Treatment Outcomes in Internet-Delivered Therapy for Depression and Anxiety

“…The results showed that those who engaged in the identified adaptive actions at least half of the days of the week reported lower symptoms of depression and anxiety, and conversely, increased satisfaction with life. The five domains of actions captured by the TYDQ-21 shared some overlap with the five domains identified by Santini et al [ 9 ], including cognitive actions, health behaviours/routines, and social interactions.…”

“…In a recent Danish study, over 3000 respondents reported the daily actions they took to enhance their mental health. A vast range of actions were reported, from which five main themes emerged: positive mindset (e.g., ‘be optimistic’), health behaviours (e.g., ‘exercise daily’), social relationships (e.g., ‘have a social network’), relaxation (e.g., ‘remember to relax’), and use of the brain (e.g., ‘solve tasks’) [ 9 ]. Actively doing something to improve mental health was associated with greater self-reported mental wellbeing in the sample.…”

“…Actively doing something to improve mental health was associated with greater self-reported mental wellbeing in the sample. Moreover, approximately half of respondents reported that they had engaged in something ‘to a large extent’ to enhance their mental health within the past two weeks [ 9 ]. This finding is consistent with other recent research illustrating a strong association between daily actions and psychological health [ 10 ], and highlights the clinical potential of increasing the frequency of such actions to facilitate better psychological health.…”

Conceptualising and measuring positive mental health literacy: a systematic literature review

“…Broadening a population’s knowledge-base around positive mental health is a key factor in mental health promotion and a cornerstone of the Act-Belong-Commit (ABC) approach to mental health promotion (Donovan et al , 2006). A study published after the time period covered by our search, found the ABC model to increase respondents knowledge about what they can do to enhance their mental health, which was independently associated with a higher level of mental well-being (Santini et al , 2022). The need for mental health interventions to build on accurate and culturally appropriate conceptualisations was highlighted in a recent paper by Haymovitz et al , who explored how mental health was conceptualised in 25 participants of diverse American racial and ethnic groups (Haymovitz et al , 2022).…”

Impact on Students of the Act–Belong–Commit Mentally Healthy Schools Framework

“…The campaign originated in Western Australia, where it is directed by Mentally Healthy WA (MHWA) at Curtin University, and is implemented through partnerships with health services, local governments, state government departments, workplaces, community organisations, and local clubs [ 23 ]. The campaign constructs appear to be universal and have been adopted and articulated in a local context in a number of countries around the globe, particularly in Scandinavian countries [ 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”